One half of the African continent is starving — two and a half million are suffering from hunger and the elite African- American Hollywood movie stars are threatening a boycott on Oscar night. Why? Black actors received no nominations! Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of Will Smith, is livid because her husband was not nominated for Concussion. Aided by black director Spike Lee, the racial activist, Reverend Al Sharpton, a boycott movement was started for the 88th Oscar night, February 28th. What? An Oscar boycott? You mean life will stop because some African-American superstars will not be parading their multi-million dollar glitzy costumes and jewels on the red carpet. Woe is me! Enough is enough. As if the world had no other major concerns but a black Oscar boycott. Now if they were to boycott Hollywood altogether that would be a valid step of great courage — but one night? The title of this piece, borrowed from the 60's London West End hit musical, written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse: “Stop the World---I want to get off”, seemed not only appropriate but justified, as they borrowed it from a graffito. Some minor black voices have dared to suggest that maybe some white actors should be included in the BET (Black Entertainment Television) awards… but were hushed up by major white filmmakers like George Clooney, Michael Moore, even Donald Trump, among others. There is more than one irony to this Hollywood brouhaha. The President of AMPAS, (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences) is black. Cheryl Boone Isaacs is all apologetic and promises more diversity in the future. Moreover, the host of the event is crusty comedian Chris Rock, hilarious, fearless, perceptive and socially conscious. One can look forward to some entertaining, rollicking, frolicking, fun and satire Oscar night. He has already called Hollywood ‘racist', Los Angeles ‘a slave state' and show-business ‘a white industry'. What more? Is this a racial issue? By examining the composition of the academy, we find that the members who vote on the nominations are 94 per cent Caucasian, 77 per cent male, two per cent black and less than two per cent Latinos. Membership is for life and by invitation only. The median age is 62 and only 14 per cent are younger than 50. The great Billy Wilder called them ‘kids with beards.' Roster of the 5765 voting members is a closely guarded secret. Hundreds of them have not worked on a movie in decades. Some have left the movie business entirely, yet their vote counts just as Julia Roberts or Leonardo di Caprio. This is the second year in a row when all acting nominees were white. Winning the 13.5 inch statuette dipped in gold, means a heaping lot in show- business. It can vault an actor to stardom, add millions to the box-office and boost a studio's prestige. Several excellent films, by blacks and whites have received no nominations, among them Creed, Straight Outta Compton and Concussion, starring Will Smith, who by all accounts gave a superb performance, but so did the impeccable Benicio del Toro in Sicario, who was also omitted. Are the choices fair? Is it a one-dimensional, subjective vote, depending on who does the casting, hiring and voting, or is it a question of merit? The academy has resented all this raucous. Oscar-winner Frank Pierson, who serves on the board of governors, retorted: “I don't see any reason why the academy should represent the entire American population. That's what the People's Choice Award is for. We represent the professional filmmakers and if that does not reflect the general population, so be it!” Which side are you on? Is AMPAS losing credibility, or is it a question of excellence… plus, maybe a little luck. Admittedly, the academy has not always rewarded quality. Masterpieces such as Citizen Kane,( the definitive litmus test), A Space Odyssey, The Wizard of OZ, Saving Private Ryan and many others never received Oscars or even nominations, neither did Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin or Peter O'Toole. Hitchcock's perhaps greatest film, Vertigo, wasn't even nominated. He never took home the ‘golden boy' despite five nominations. What is the mindset of the academy? Is it racially biased or is it just a matter of competition? Through the years, blacks have won 32 Oscars in all categories, four for Best Actor, one for Best Actress and several for Best Supporting Actor and Actress… How fair is that? The first black actor ever to receive a Best Actor Award was the incomparable Sidney Poitier in 1964 for his poignant role in Lilies of the Field, but has he ever given less than an outstanding performance! We first noticed him in Blackboard Jungle as the rebellious student, and he soon shot to stardom, to become the first Caribbean-American superstar, defying all social discrimination. He depicted noble, intelligent, sensitive characters and brought dignity to his race and his profession. Who can forget his emphatic outcry, in In the Heat of the Night: “They call me Mr Tibbs.” He demanded respect with his grace and demeanour. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner revealed his self-esteem and To Sir With Love, his infinite compassion. He was awarded ‘Knight Commander of the British Empire', which gave him the title ‘Sir'… but he was always Sir Sidney to us and to Hollywood, black and white. And what would Sir Sidney have said about this boycott? He already said it once before: “It's all a matter of competition.”
“Actors are the only honest hypocrites” William Hazlitt (1788-1830)
